Power sliding window assembly with a stopper

Abstract

A power sliding window assembly for a motor vehicle. The assembly can include a back window casing with a first window pane and a second window pane fixedly attached to the casing. A generally U-shaped guide rail can be at least partially encased within the window casing and be adjacent to the first window pane and the second window pane. A third window pane can have a portion fixedly attached to a glass carrier and the glass carrier can be located at least partially within and slidably engaged with the generally U-shaped guide rail. Located at least partially within the generally U-shaped guide rail can be a first stopper and a second stopper with the first and second stoppers providing for desired placement of the third window pane when it is in a closed position and a fully open position.

We claim: 
     
       1. A sliding window assembly for a motor vehicle, said assembly comprising:
 a generally U-shaped guide rail having a pair of oppositely disposed and generally parallel side walls, each of said pair of side walls having an upper edge; 
 a window pane slidably engaged with said generally U-shaped guide rail; 
 a first stopper attached to and located at least partially within said generally U-shaped guide rail on one side of said window pane and a second stopper attached to and located at least partially within said generally U-shaped guide rail on a second side of said window pane; 
 said first and second stoppers each having a first arcuate-shaped cushion facing said window pane, whereby each of said arcuate-shaped cushions is operable to compress when a force is exerted thereon by said window pane, each of said first and second stoppers also has a top surface and a cable slot extending downwardly through said top surface; 
 said generally U-shaped guide rail having a first notch in and extending transversely through said pair of side walls, and a second notch in and extending transversely through said pair of side walls said second notch spaced apart from said first notch along a longitudinal axis of said guide rail and said first stopper located at least partially within said first notch and said second stopper located at least partially within said second notch, said first stopper and said second stopper extending above said upper edges of said generally U-shaped guide rail. 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a window casing, said generally U-shaped guide rail fixedly attached to said window casing. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said generally U-shaped guide rail is at least partially encased within said window casing. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said window casing is made from a polyvinyl chloride resin. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each of said first and second stoppers has an end surface, each of said arcuate-shaped cushions is attached to a respective one of said end surfaces below a respective one of said cable slots. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a fastener extending through said first stopper and at least one of said generally parallel side walls. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of said arcuate-shaped cushions has at least one mechanical interlock tab, whereby each of said at least one mechanical interlock tabs is mechanically interlocked with a respective one of said first and second stoppers. 
     
     
       8. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of said arcuate-shaped cushions has a textured surface, each of said textured surfaces facing said window pane and reducing adhesion between said surface and a glass carrier attached to said window pane when said glass carrier is moved away from a position in contact with said surface. 
     
     
       9. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second stoppers has a second arcuate-shaped cushion disposed on an end of said stopper opposite said first arcuate-shaped cushion. 
     
     
       10. The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein each of said arcuate-shaped cushions has at least one mechanical interlock tab mechanically interlocking said arcuate-shaped cushion with a respective one of said stoppers. 
     
     
       11. The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein each of said first arcuate-shaped cushions has a textured surface, each of said textured surfaces facing said window pane and reducing adhesion between said surface and a glass carrier attached to said window pane when said glass carrier is moved away from a position in contact with said surface. 
     
     
       12. The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein for each of said first and second stoppers said first and second arcuate-shaped cushions are fixedly attached to each other by a connecting strap extending through said stopper. 
     
     
       13. The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein each of said stoppers has a connection strap aperture extending therethrough. 
     
     
       14. A power sliding window assembly for a motor vehicle, said assembly comprising:
 a window casing; 
 a generally U-shaped guide rail having a pair of oppositely disposed and generally parallel side walls and attached to said window casing, each of said pair of side walls having an upper edge; 
 a sliding window pane having a portion thereof fixedly attached to a glass carrier, said glass carrier having a first end and a second end, said glass carrier also located at least partially within and slidably engaged with said generally U-shaped guide rail; 
 a window pane sliding system having a first cable attached to said first end of said glass carrier and a second cable attached to said second end of said glass carrier, said window pane sliding system operable to slide said window pane along said guide rail by pulling on said first cable or said second cable; 
 a first stopper attached to and located at least partially within said generally U-shaped guide rail adjacent a first end of said guide rail and a second stopper attached to and located at least partially within a generally U-shaped guide rail adjacent said second end of said guide rail; 
 said generally U-shaped guide rail having a first notch in and extending transversely through said pair of side walls and a second notch in and extending transversely through said pair of side walls, said second notch spaced apart from said first notch along a longitudinal axis of said guide rail and said first stopper located at least partially within said first notch and said second stopper located at least partially within said second notch; and 
 said first and second stoppers each having a first arcuate-shaped cushion attached thereto and facing said window pane, whereby each of said arcuate-shaped cushions is operable to compress when a force is exerted thereon by said glass carrier, each of said first and second stoppers also has a top surface and a cable slot extending downwardly through said top surface, said first stopper and said second stopper extending above said upper edges of said generally U-shaped guide rail. 
 
     
     
       15. The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein each of said first and second stoppers has a second arcuate-shaped cushion disposed on an end of said stopper opposite said first arcuate-shaped cushion oppositely disposed shaped cushions attached to one of a pair of oppositely disposed end surfaces of said first and second. 
     
     
       16. The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein for each of said first and second stoppers said first and second arcuate-shaped cushions are fixedly attached to each other by a connecting strap extending through said stopper. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein each of said stoppers has a connection strap aperture extending therethrough. 
     
     
       18. The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein each of said first arcuate-shaped cushions has a textured surface, each of said textured surfaces facing said glass carrier and reducing adhesion between said surface and said glass carrier when said glass carrier is moved away from a position in contact with said surface. 
     
     
       19. The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein each of said arcuate-shaped cushions has at least one mechanical interlock tab mechanically interlocking said arcuate-shaped cushion with a respective one of said stoppers.